Historical Markers of Abra

Abra has four of the more than 1300 Historical Markers installed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) all over the country. The Historical Markers recognise people, places, or events that are of important historical value to the Philippines. They are commemorated by cast-iron plaques issued by the Commission. The plaques themselves are permanent signs installed in publicly visible locations on buildings, monuments, or in special locations.

Criteria and policies for Historical Markers

Ignacio Villamor  (1863 – 1933)

Ignacio Villamor was born on 1st February 1863, in Bangued,Abra, to Florencio Villamor and Wenceslawa Borbon.
When he was ten, his father died so his mother depended on him to help with family expenses.

With the help of his uncle Escolastico Borbon, his mother was able to send him to the public school.His teacher was Mariano Torrijos. After graduating, he attended another school under the tutorship of Juan Valera. Then he was sent to the seminary of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, to continue his studies.

Continuing his studies in Manila he enrolled in the San Juan de Letran College. He found work as a houseboy of Yeyong, an old bachelor, and Nora Ponsa, his spinster sister, on San Marcelino Street. Later, he lived in the College of San Juan de Letran as capista.

In 1885 he completed his B.A. and then went on to the University of Santo Tomas,graduating in 1893 a with a M.A. in Law in 1894. He married Maria Flores of Manila in 1894.

A co-founder of the Universidad Literaria de Filpinas,he also established the Colegio de San Antoniode Padua  and the Liceo de Manila.

He joined the government in 1901 as prosecuting attorney of Pangasinan. He was appointed Judge of the Sixth Judicial District in 1902; Attorney General in 1907; and Chief of the Executive Bureau, being the first Filipino to occupy this important position.

In 1915 he became the first Filipino President of the University of the Philippines.

In 1918, he became the director of the Bureau of Census. Two years later, (1920), he was named associate justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, a position which he held until his retirement.

As an author, he wrote Criminality in the Philippine Islands, Commentaries on the Election Law, Election Frauds and Their Remedies, Japan’s Educational Development, Slavery in the Philippines, Industrious Men, Ancient Filipino Writing, and The University of Santo Tomas in Her Third Century.

On the morning of May 21, 1933 he suddenly collapsed and passed away two days later on May 23rd at 6:15 p.m.

References

kahimyang.com
Image of Ignacio Villamor from kahimyang.com

Don Quintin Babila Paredes

One of the most prominent men of Abra in the early 20th Century was Don Quintin Paredes.  

Born on 9th September 1884, He was Abra’s Representative to Congress from 1925 to 1937 and became Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1933 to 1935.
During the war he was Secretary of Commerce.  After the war he became a Senator and was elected as President of the Senate for a short term.  

Don Quintin Paredes was married to Doña Victoria Peralta. Victoria Park, at the top of the Casamata hill was named after her.

Society of the Divine Word

Fathers Ludwig Beckert and John Sheiermann arrived on horseback in San Isidro, then called Cagutongan, on Aug. 22, 1909, and founded the first SDV mission in Abra

The Historical Marker was erected in 2009 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the S.V. D. (Society of the Divine Word) in the province of Abra. In 1920, the Bishop of Nueva Segovia (Bishop Peter Joseph Hurth) entrusted the whole province to the SVD.

In 1959, the S.V.D. transferred its regional house from Tayum to the Bangued Parish Convent.
Then, in 1964  the regional house was again moved, this time to Ubbog, Bangued.

Teofilo Garcia

• Born 27th March 1941 to Francisco Garcia and Concepcion Callos from San Quintin, Abra.
• He attended Villa Mercedes Elementary School (formerly known as Barbarit Elementary School) until 4th grade
• At the age of 15 he learned the art of Kattukong or Tabungaw hat making from his grandfather Hipolito.
• He married Dolores Cabael from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur
• They have five children Ferdinand, Redentor, George, Jocelyn and Carol

National Living Treasure Awardee, 2012 (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan)

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